A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | CH | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
 A temperature anomaly map in Europe for July | |
| Type | Heatwave |
|---|---|
| Areas | |
| Start date | 10 June 2022 |
| End date | 12 September 2022 |
| Peak temp. | 47.0 °C (116.6 °F), recorded at Pinhão, Portugal on 14 July 2022[1] |
| Losses | |
| Deaths | ~20,000 (reported) |
| Damages | €19 billion[2] |
From June to August 2022, persistent heatwaves affected parts of Europe, causing evacuations and killing tens of thousands. These heat waves were the deadliest meteorological events in 2022. The highest temperature recorded was 47.0 °C (116.6 °F) in Pinhão, Portugal, on 14 July.[3]
In June 2022, temperatures of 40–43 °C (104–109 °F) were recorded in parts of Europe, with most severe temperature anomalies in France, where several records were broken.[4][5]
A second more severe heatwave occurred in mid-July, extending north to the United Kingdom where temperatures surpassing 40 °C (104 °F) were recorded for the first time.[6] The heatwaves were part of climate change in Europe.[7][8][9]
A third heatwave began in August with parts of France and Spain expected to reach temperatures as high as 38 °C (100 °F). A prolonged hot period also hit the United Kingdom.[10]
Although temperatures in most places in Europe subsided in August, a smaller heatwave impacted France on 12 September, with temperatures reaching 40.1 °C (104.2 °F).[11]
As a result of the heatwaves, widespread droughts occurred across the continent.[12]
Eurostat reported that the European Union saw 53,000 excess deaths in July, some of which may have occurred because of the heat wave. The excess death rate was several times higher than in July 2020 or July 2021, a statistic notable due to the COVID-19 pandemic having taken place in Europe during those years. The worst increases were seen in Spain and Cyprus.[13]
Meteorology
The June heatwave was the result of an interaction among the high pressures that generate atmospheric stability; Tropical Storm Alex, the strong sunshine of the boreal summer and an air mass emanating from North Africa that had entered the Iberian Peninsula loaded with suspended dust that caused haze in the centre and south of the peninsula.[14][15][16]
Climatologists linked the extreme heat to the impact of climate change, and experts predict that changes in the jet stream as a result of climate change will cause heatwaves with increasing frequency in Europe.[17][18] Furthermore, due to the jet stream, the increase in heatwaves for European countries is three-to-four times higher than other countries in northern mid-latitudes, such as the United States.[19][20]